186 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
CUTTING AND CURING HAY. 
From our notes of the discussion, on “ the proper stage 
for cutting grasses, and the best modes of making hay,’ 
at the seventh Agricultural meeting in this city, we give 
the following: 
Mr. Bement said he had formerly been in the habit 
of cutting timothy grass quite late. It was easier cured 
after it got pretty ripe. But he found in using hay thus 
cut, that it wanted substance, and he had ascertained that 
the best time for cutting was while the grass was in blos¬ 
som. In making clover hay, he had adopted Judge Bu- 
ePs plan. He thought it best not to expose it much to 
the sun. His practice was to cut it in the morning, let it 
lay till noon, and then cock it, and let it sweat for two 
or three days according to the state of the weather. On 
putting the hay iri the barn, he had used about four quarts 
of salt to the ton. Hay thus managed came out in the 
spring very bright and sweet. In the on!inary way of 
curing clover hay, the best parts are wasted. 
Mr. Howard was aware that there were different opin¬ 
ions as to the proper stage for cutting grass; but he 
thought the observance of certain principles might afford 
a guide in the case. For example, the stems of grasses 
were filled just before the formation of the seed, with a 
starchy or saccharine substance. In perfecting the seed, 
the stems were exhausted of this substance, it being con¬ 
sumed in forming seed. Now if the herbage is the ob¬ 
ject, the plant should be cut before the nutriment has 
passed from the stems. If seed is the object, the plant 
must of course be allowed to attain a good degree of ma¬ 
turity. Hay made from ripe grass may “ go farther,” or 
“ spend better,” as the argument is; and it is admitted 
that this may be true, for animals are less inclined to eat 
it; but this is no proof that it is more nutritive. He 
spolte-of the different modes of curing hay, with nearly 
all which, he said, he had been acquainted. Clover hay 
was altogether better when cured in cock, than by any 
other mode he knew practiced. All hay was better for 
undergoing to some extent, a sweating in the cock. 
Coarse timothy was thus rendered much softer, and was 
less strawy and stiff, and every description of hay was 
less likely to be “mow burned.” 
Mr. Betts was not in favor of mowing a great deal of 
grass while the dew is on. He was in the habit of 
spreading the swaths as soon as the ground was dry, and 
he always had it well cocked up before night. The next 
day, if the weather was good, he opened it again if it did 
not dry enough he put it together again; but his object 
was to get it so that it would do to put it in the barn. He 
was in favor of using a little salt with it. He had some¬ 
times found his hay heat too much in the mow. From 
being hurried, .he had occasionally put a load in the barn 
too green. To stop the heat and fermentation which had 
ensued in such cases, he had made holes in the hay with 
a crow-bar, and scattered in salt. In this way lie hail 
stopped the fermentation and saved his hay in very good 
order. 
Mr. Garretson, of the Assembly, from Dutchess 
county, said he generally cut from 150 to 200 tons of 
hay per year—chiefly timothy and red-top. He general¬ 
ly begun when the grass was in the blossom. His meth¬ 
od was to cut in the morning, spread the swaths lightly, 
and in the afternoon put it in cocks. The next day, if 
the sun came out, it was again spread, and if made 
enough, put in the barn, with a little salt sprinkled on it. 
About three quarts of salt to the ton was as much as he 
used. There was danger of using too much. He had 
formerly used more salt, and was satisfied his animals, 
particularly sheep, had suffered by it. It occasioned 
scouring—and by keeping their bowels out of order for 
some time, they died. He usually got about two tons of 
hay to the acre. In the latter part of the season it would 
sometimes make enough in one day. 
Mr. Mack always directed his men to make hay as ra¬ 
pidly as possible. He had often made it and put it in the 
barn in one day, and never had better hay. He was always 
particular to secure it from dew when it must be left 
over night. It is said by some who had much practice 
In making hay, that it is never injured from its own in- 
•sernal juice, but only from rain or dew. 
Mr. Sotham did not like the plan of salting hay, nei¬ 
ther did he like the hay that was made in one day. If it 
could be so made that it would lake no hurt, in one day, 
it must have been too dry for good hay before it was cut, 
or else very light burden. He would as soon have good 
bright straw for cows or sheep, as timothy hay after it 
had gone to seed. He cuts clover when a part of it is in 
blossom and part in the head. Cuts all his grass early. 
It takes longer to make hay cut thus early, but for cows 
and sheep, especially, it was a great deal better. The ob¬ 
jection to salting hay was, that animals were forced to 
eat salt whether they wanted it or not, and it made sheep 
scour. His hay came out of the barn of a bright green 
color, and his stock would fatten on it. There was ano¬ 
ther great advantage in cutting early r —the roots retained 
their life and strength better, and the after feed and fu¬ 
ture crops were much more abundant. He did not like 
timothy for hay—he never saw it in England—the farm¬ 
ers there thought it was too coarse and wiry for stock. 
Rye grass made good hay—would yield in England two 
tons per acre. Pacey’s was the best variety—red-top 
made good hay. He had tried sainfoin—it did not come 
up well—there was always a difficulty about it in this re¬ 
spect, because the seed was good only a short time—it 
could hardly be brought across the ocean and vegetate. 
If we could get it here, it would be very valuable, espe¬ 
cially for dry lands. As to pasturing mowing lands, some 
land would not bear it—particularly if wet—but he fed 
his dry lands very close, in the fall, with cattle and 
sheep, and experienced no damage from it. 
Judge Cheever said he would cut his clover in blos¬ 
som, not sooner. He would let it it take the sun one day, 
but not enough to have the leaf break off, then put it in 
small cocks and cure it, until by a few hours drying, by 
turning over and breaking the cocks, the fluids would be 
so far out of it that it may be housed without hurting. 
The length of time necessary to cure it will depend upon 
the state of the weather, and the larger or smaller growth 
of the crop. Upon this the farmer must exercise his 
judgment. 
He would not cut timothy until it had passed out of the 
blossom. Professor Davy, in his Agricultural Chemis¬ 
try, says that 64 parts of clover hay cut in blossom, pro¬ 
duced 10 parts of nutritive matter, and the same taken in 
seed. Timothy, 10 parts in blossom, and 23 in seed. 
This in the timothy is probably too much; but that the 
nutritive matter in timothy improved after the fall of the 
blossom, he had no doubt. Red-top comes to maturity 
later, and he did not think there was much difference 
whether cut in blossom or soon after. He believed timo¬ 
thy cut in blossom would, pound for pound, produce more 
milk when fed to cows or sheep, than it would cut after¬ 
wards; but for horses and other stock, he thought it more 
nutritious to stand a little longer. It certainly improved 
in weight. 
He preferred mowing his hay, as far as he could, when 
free from dews or water. He let the swaths take the sun 
a few hours, until the top got a little wilted or seared, 
before turning. It thus held up the greener parts when 
turned over and spread, and permitted (he air to circulate 
under it; it also gave the ground between the swaths, 
time to dry, which was important in hastening the cu¬ 
ring. In this way he avoided the necessity of turning 
(he hay after being spread, which was one of the most 
tedious processes through which the hay had to be pass¬ 
ed, and of course the most expensive. He never permit¬ 
ted his hay to take a dew when it had sun enough to wilt 
it considerably, if he could help it. The dew discolored 
it, and he had never been able to restore the fine fresh 
color afterwards. He preferred letting his hay stand 
over night in the cock. He could (hen better tell of its 
fitness to be housed. It is very easy to break up the 
cocks and give it more sun if necessary; and the slight 
fermentation or sweating in the cock, which is checked 
and dried off in carting, is a great preventive against 
heating in the mow. Hay heated in the mow is sure to 
be discolored. Some people insist that it is not injured 
for feeding, especially to cattle. It may be so. I know 
that flour, corn or oats, which have been heated until 
they are musty, are thought not so good. I do not know 
iwhy hay should be. 
